Emirates Group celebrates female Emirati talent and their dedication to the growth of UAE’s aviation industry

The Emirates Group is proud to celebrate the contributions of Emirati women, and the vital work they do to advance excellence across aviation and travel in the UAE. Watch the video that highlights the diverse careers of talented Emirati women across the Emirates Group.

Emirati women are forging their career paths across a variety of business functions at the Emirates Group and building the foundations for a talent pipeline to support the next generation of aviation professionals. Approximately 38% of the Group’s Emirati workforce consists of women, and in the last financial year, the organisation welcomed a record number of Emirati women to its workforce. This further reinforces the Emirates Group’s commitment to integrating Emirati women in the UAE’s growing aviation sector, where they are empowered with the right skills, competencies and expertise, allowing them to thrive and reach their full potential.

The Emirates Group also marked another milestone this year, achieving 20% growth over the previous year for the number of Emirati women appointed in leadership roles. Today, more than 200 Emirati women hold leadership positions in the organisation, contributing to growth across a gamut of business functions. In March 2024, the Emirates Group announced the promotion of five Emirati female leaders to senior executive roles in key Human Resources and Commercial Support departments.

From senior executives to outstation managers and even heads of departments, the Group continues to equip Emirati women with industry-leading resources to hone their leadership skills and grow their career prospects. Over the last 20 years, the Emirates Group has provided mentorship and training programmes for Emirati female professionals to boost their professional growth and career mobility with access to leadership programmes including the Rolls-Royce and Airbus Leadership Programmes, GE Aviation Programme, among others. Emirati females in leadership positions at the Emirates Group also have the opportunity to enrol in the INSEAD Women Leaders Programme, empowering them to lead with impact and create lasting professional change through their leadership journey. More than 70 Emirati women have completed one or more of these programmes in the last 12 months. Last year, Emirates also sponsored three Emirati female employees to pursue their postgraduate education abroad in three of the top 100 ranked universities worldwide.

In the last year, the Emirates Group also inked a number of strategic partnerships with UAE-based and international organisations including Nafis, Microsoft, Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) and PwC Academy to deliver bespoke training and development programmes for the Group’s Emirati workforce. Through these programmes, Emirati women are provided additional tools and resources that support their career advancement and advance their workforce contributions.

The Emirates Group is also a launch partner of Aurora50’s women’s networking initiative, NOORA and is a signatory of the UAE Gender Balance Council’s pledge, reinforcing its commitment towards female representation and advancement in the organisation.

Emirati women also have opportunities to contribute beyond their job roles, with 55% of the Emirates Group’s Emirati Youth Council consisting of women who hail from different departments across Emirates and dnata businesses. Their work with the Youth Council provides broader exposure to ground-breaking discussions and activities that align with the Emirates Group’s core values, further inspiring their peers.

As an employer of choice, the Emirates Group continues to invest in the UAE national workforce by creating jobs for those seeking careers in travel and aviation. The Group’s Rehlaty strategy aims to attract, train, develop and retain Emirati talent, in line with the UAE’s Emiratisation agenda. As part of this strategy, the Emirates Group has also launched a series of internship, high school and graduate programmes that have successfully onboarded hundreds of Emiratis including ambitious and skilled women over the last two years.